Crow's Flight-The Confrontation
by Zentin
Summary: Akashi was confounded. Hinata had disappeared and had not been seen for months. There was no word anywhere in the world of basketball in where he was. When he finds him at Karasuno's Volleyball Fall Training Camp, he's got some words to say, but so does Hinata, who is able to do what no one else had been able to do. Prove Akashi wrong.


It was in the middle of the Volleyball Fall Training Camp and Hinata had gone to use the bathroom. He was so pumped and excited training with everyone, learning all of these new combos and seeing it all come together. Kageyama's new toss and working on their new quick would cause him to stare at his hand in awe and wonder and he had to constantly remind himself that yes, he did just do that. Little did Hinata know that his emotional high would come crashing down as he turned the corner to see someone he hoped that he wouldn't see for a very long time, if ever again.

As he was walking by Fukurondi Academy's front entrance, a sound from outside that Hinata hadn't heard since his days in Middle School shook him out of his good mood. Turning reluctantly toward the source of the sound, Hinata's eyes widened and his demeanor changed in an instant to one of controlled anger and rage.

Standing near the front gate was a magenta-haired basketball player dribbling a well worn basketball without any concern to the world around him. He was wearing a white jacket with baby-blue pinstripes. Since his was back was turned, Hinata could clearly read the word Rakuzan emblazoned between the other teen's shoulder blades.

Hinata fully intended to walk away and pretend he never saw this individual whom it was obvious he recognized and knew quite well. He proceeded to do just that, when his phone buzzed inside his pocket indicating that a text had been received. Opening his phone Hinata scowled as he read the words- "Shoyo, I'm here to see you. Meet me by the front gate."

Knowing he couldn't get out of this now, and glancing back at the gym knowing he didn't want his team or worse the rest of the training camp involved in this, Hinata sighed and reluctantly exited the building and made his way to meet the individual who summoned him.

Even as Hinata drew close, the young man continued dribbling his basketball unconcerned about the world around him, not even looking up when Hinata crossed the short distance between the front entrance and the gate, but with each step Hinata Shoyo grew increasingly uneasy knowing that a lecture was coming. The orange haired volleyball player was thankful that he kept his nails trimmed short because otherwise his hands would be cut up with marks and possibly bleeding with how tightly he was clenching his fists.

When Hinata got within five feet of the magenta haired individual the basketball player stopped and everything was silent except for the occurence of an ominous breeze that seemed to hail a showdown between the two. Hinata steeled himself, knowing that he had to keep calm and not lose his temper as much as he wanted to. When facing his former basketball captain, Akashi Seijuro, this was the only way to get him to leave him alone. Be honest and be blunt.

"You've disappointed me, Shoyo…" the magenta haired basketball captain lectured, "I expected to see you at the Inter-High, but I've only witnessed failure." His gaze showed that he had utter contempt for Hinata's lack of participation in basketball, "You know there are consequences if you intend on defying me."

The orange haired middle blocker sighed and shook his head, "I really honestly should've expected that you would track me down eventually." The volleyball player continued to clench his fists at his sides but then opened them as if to release the building tension from his body. No matter what, Shoyo knew that he had to keep his cool or there would be nothing that could stop his former captain from fulfilling his threat about "consequences". He would not rise to his former captain's barbed words. The former small forward continued, "I have no intention of returning to basketball or participating in your little competition. I'm not interested in your kind of games."

Akashi narrowed his eyes, his analytical mind wondering why his threat not was intimidating the volleyball player like he expected. He was clearly unused to this confident steadfastness that had been previously lacking back in middle school which now made Hinata much harder to manipulate. He asked, "Why did you run away?"

Shoyo shrugged, "I really didn't run away. I really was moving back to Miyagi, and I didn't honestly think you would care if I told you or not. I wasn't considered a member of the Generation of Miracles on or off the court, so I really didn't have a reason to tell you my intentions of my not playing in high school because one, it wasn't any of your business, two, because I'm not a member of the Generation of Miracles I felt I would be getting in the way of your competition, and three, I have something I need to personally accomplish." He smiled slightly, as if this was truly something that he expected to happen all along.

The former captain of the Teiko's basketball team look startled at his former teammate's analysis. Shoyo was always one to wear his heart on his sleeve or at least appeared to. Had he always been like this?

Curious, Akashi asked, "Yet you expected me to track you down? That doesn't make any sense."

Shoyo laughed, though it was one of sarcasm and there was a trace of bitterness to it, "Akashi, for being as good as a strategist and manipulator as you are, you're extremely predictable." He scoffed, rolling his eyes, "I should have figured you would eventually get curious about where I was, which you did because you absolutely can't have any loose ends when it comes to your games. I'm just another pawn to you. A shogi piece that you alone want to control."

A normal person probably would have been quite offended by this assessment, but Akashi, being broken in two, wasn't bothered by Hinata's words, and so he smirked, "And is that so bad?"

The volleyball player sighed in frustration, "Not when I have ambitions that don't have you in it."

At this Akashi truly scowled, enraged by the former small forward's words, "Shoyo…" he growled.

Looking at his former captain with a half-lidded look, Hinata held up his hand and continued regardless, "Before you get all mad, this is not something you should take offense to. It's not an insult if you would please allow me to explain."

When the magenta haired basketball player seemed to calm somewhat, Hinata took this to be his que to continue and he elaborated, "I have always wanted to play for Karasuno since I was a kid. I have always wanted to play volleyball, and even though I wasn't able to do that at Teiko, that dream never died on me." and here Hinata gained a look of blazing determination, his eyes burning like miniature suns, "I want revenge on Ushijima, and I want to prove that I'm not a talentless loser like he thinks I am. I've only got one more chance, and I want to beat him."

Akashi looked at his former teammate surprised, "You still haven't given up on that foolishness? He's a Miracle in his own right!"

"Yes." the volleyball player revealed, his eyes gazing at his former captain with a clear understanding of something that Akashi could not comprehend, "Unlike the rest of you, I know what it is like to lose. The pain of failure and being unable to do anything against a much stronger opponent is an experience that you will all one day know." When Akashi dared to contradict him, Hinata spoke with such steel in his voice that he froze his former captain in place, preventing him from interrupting.

Hinata scowled, "There are millions of players all around the world and you don't think that there isn't someone out there who is just as amazing as you all are? You really are an idiot to think there isn't someone who can't beat you! You're just a big fish in a small pond. To think that you won't be beaten is to think that you can't die and there are very few people who haven't, if any at all. Most of us are on our way..."

Akashi looked at Hinata with a strange expression on his face, like he was seeing the orange haired teen for the first time, "You're different now…"

Holding up his fist Hinata exclaimed, "Of course I am! I have to be in order to beat Ushijima! I have to take revenge for Teiko's Volleyball Club! For Sato, for Ujima, for Tanba, for Kaizen, for Mikune, and for myself whose dreams were brutally crushed by that tyrant! Because we lost, all of them quit, and then when I wouldn't, he kicked me out! I've been training for this by myself since the very day I lost, and you never even noticed!"

Akashi's dichromatic gaze widened in shock, he couldn't believe that Shoyo had been training for this without anyone, especially him, knowing, "You…!"

Hinata glared at Akashi, daring him to tell him otherwise, "I have to do this! Even if it means giving up on basketball, I can't leave things the way they are! I will beat him, and I will force him to acknowledge me!"

Watching the blaze of determination in his eyes, and seeing that convincing the former small forward to play again was a lost cause, Akashi sighed and slowly nodded, though it was clear he didn't approve of it, "Very well then. As much as I disagree and think this is a waste of your time, I won't stop you. However…" and his dichromatic gaze pierced through Shoyo and the orange haired teen became uncomfortable for the first time in this entire confrontation, "...understand that I expect victory, Shoyo. If you fail, there will be consequences."

Hinata looked down toward the ground, knowing that Akashi would fulfill his threat, somehow, but inwardly satisfied that he bought himself some time. However, Akashi wasn't done.

"Also, even though you weren't recognized as one of us, I do recognize your ability. If you were to pursue basketball at full force, you would stand amongst us even now. The only reason you weren't was because you participated in several different sports."

The volleyball player looked up and rubbed his neck, "I don't know about that...I'm not a genius Akashi. I've never been one. I just work really, really hard. There are things that I cannot do that others can do better, and there are things that I can do that others cannot. Even Kuroko is more of a genius than I am." He sighed, "I never want to stop improving, never stopping to do better than the day before, but I fully realize that the summit is still far above me."

"You think I'm wrong? You doubt my words?"

Hinata frowned, "I think that I'm not as talented as you think I am. Or more accurately, you know that I'm not as talented as the others, but I want to believe that deep down you actually care about me, and not because of my ability in basketball, is the real reason why you are here."

A little niggling in the back of the red-head's mind caused Akashi to wonder where Hinata was going with this. He asked, "And why would you think that?"

Looking into his former captain's eyes with a piercing stare, Shoyo took a deep breath before he began explaining, "Because I'm the only real friend that you've ever really had. I'm the only one who has accepted you unconditionally despite everything in your crazy, aristocratic life that has broken you into two because you couldn't deal with the pressure. Even Midorima isn't as close to you in that form of confidence because you've never had anything to prove to me, and deep down you miss that. You miss the fact that I treated you as Seijuro, not as Captain of the Generation of Miracles, not as the next heir of the Akashi Corporation or a member of the Japanese Nobility. You've always been and always will be Seijuro to me."

A pit began to form in Akashi's stomach, this conversation was turning in a way that he couldn't control and he didn't like it, but he couldn't deny what Shoyo said because it was true. Hinata had never once defied him, always talked to him about ordinary things, was persistent in inviting him over, did any training without complaint, always gave his all to him and the others, even if it meant that he lost out on recognition or fame. Hinata was always there to help.

But then the orange haired teenager scowled, his voice turning bitter, as he couldn't hide the emotions of hurt and anger any longer, "But you walked out of our friendship. Not me. You wouldn't share the burden with me. None of you you wanted to face the fact that we're just humans, not any more extraordinary than anyone else. And this is why I was put on the first string because Coach Shirogane understood that I knew what it was like to lose. I understood that I am no more amazing than the opponents that we defeated."

Confused, Akashi asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"This is a surprise," Hinata said in some astonishment, "You never thought it was weird that I was promoted so quickly? You never thought that despite the fact that I had been virtually kicked out of the volleyball club being told that I had absolutely no talent by one of the school's greatest athletes before you all appeared on the scene that I could be promoted to first string within five months in a sport that I just picked up?"

Akashi answered lamely, "You could show that you were necessary for victory…" but he couldn't deny that it was rather odd. Kise was an exception because he was a genius, a Miracle, but Hinata was nowhere near any of their level at the beginning. He had been introduced to the sport by Kuroko where they both practiced in the third string gym. He was good enough to be first string, yes, but a genius he was not. Hinata worked harder than even Tetsu, and that was saying something, but it wasn't like he had anything to prove and no one ever thought to ask why he worked so hard. Why he spent so much time joining other clubs: track and gymnastics, all for the sake of bettering his skill at basketball.

Shoyo smirked, "I worked really hard, yes, and I picked up basketball quickly, and I was a good player, but it wasn't you who made that decision, it was Coach Shirogane, wasn't it?"

Honestly startled, Akashi questioned, "How did you know that?" It was true. He remembered when Hinata was promoted as a member on the first string. If he recalled correctly from that meeting, Coach Shirogane was rather adamant that Hinata be promoted, even though at the time, Akashi himself had some doubts of Hinata's abilities.

The middle blocker explained, finally telling him his long kept secret, "Because that's why he promoted me. He wanted to give you a support. I was already doing that with Tsu-kun and Aomine. He gave me that task to support you all, and he saw what was happening. I was to be a reminder that everyone loses sometimes. However, when he collapsed, the only thing I could do was report on the situation with the team. Coach Sanada wasn't aware of the real reason why I was on the team, and even if he did, he didn't have the fortitude to hold you all accountable."

Akashi looked on in stunned silence. There was nothing he could say in response. His memories of Hinata flashing through his mind. A different perspective of the former small forward emerged that he could not deny. Hinata was willing to do the task that the Coach Shirogane had assigned him, even after he was gone because both of them were so concerned for them. Everything that Hinata had done, every practice, every time he encouraged his opponents, every time he encouraged the team, every sport he did was never to compete with them, but to help them!

The stark realization stunned the captain of Rakuzan, and then enraged him. Akashi losing his temper, the wall of reason and logic containing his usually controlled emotions collapsed into rubble. "Why? Why?!" the basketball player demanded, yelling in Hinata's face and losing all composure as he grabbed at the smaller boys shirt.

"Because I already told you, you were my friend. Is it wrong to be concerned for your friend's wellbeing?" Hinata answered with a calm tone, but his eyes were blazing. Akashi couldn't say anything in response to that. He had no argument he could use to counter that statement. He cursed Hinata's simple, almost childlike explanation.

Hinata pushed Akashi back and he continued, "Our basketball was wrong because our basketball destroyed friends I loved. It destroyed the friendships that I had with our opponents, and I had many. It was wrong because it destroyed the passion and love for the game that each of us had at one time. It was wrong because it made our team fall apart. It was wrong because it made you all arrogant. It was wrong because it hurt all of you whether you want to admit or not."

But feeling tears welling up, the guilt inside him ready to burst, Hinata turned his back towards the redhead putting a hand over his face, "But I'm sorry Akashi. I'm sorry that I failed you. I'm sorry that I couldn't help you. I'm sorry that I failed the team, and I'm sorry that I failed Coach Shirogane, but I can't bear the weight of the guilt of my failure any longer because so many people have gotten hurt because of what we did as a team! That's why I won't play! Destroying other people's love of the game in the course of absolute victory is disgusting to me, and until you learn the value of losing, I can't and won't play with you!" he exclaimed tears dripping down his face, and he then said much more quietly, "Any of you." He began to walk away.

"Get back here! We're not finished yet!" Akashi shouted as he ran after his former teammate, but Hinata turned around and there was such a broken, miserable expression on his face that the basketball captain stopped, feeling the full brunt of what had been done.

"But I am." Hinata shook his head in grief, "Goodbye Akashi, when Tsu-kun beats you, you know where to find me. I'll see you soon." and he left the basketball player behind, returning to the volleyball games and back to his friends without another word.

Clenching his fists, Akashi scowled unable to pursue him any further, deep down knowing for the first time in a long time confronted with the fact that he was very, very wrong about so much, but his pride would never allow him to admit it. However, knowing that pursuing him would only do more harm than good the basketball player was forced to turn around and left infuriated.


End file.
